But, then, Christie is not a tow truck operator from Asbury Park who might have a right to expect a little discretion.

He is, of course, the governor of New Jersey and, more to the point, a potential GOP candidate for president in 2016.

Dr. Connie Mariano, who was President Bill Clinton's doctor, had said on CNN she considers Christie's weight "a time bomb" that could lead to his dying in office if elected president.

Christie retorted that Mariano should "shut up," then doubled down by calling her and delivering the same message, only louder, according to Mariano.

As Mariano put it, "It is sad that he cannot take my advice about his weight and risk factors for people who are overweight/obese for diabetes, heart disease, stroke constructively and instead, he chose to attack me personally."

We're not sure why he's made such an issue of the doctor's observation.

Certainly, Christie has made no effort to hide the self-evident fact of his corpulence and its possible health implications.

He has talked about a serious asthma attack he had while governor as probably a by-product of his weight.

He has said he knows he needs to lose weight, if only he is able.

At the same time, he has, to some extent, built his political brand as a combative, fearless, in-your-face fat guy.

And he recently poked fun at himself on "Late Show with David Letterman" by munching on doughnuts and calling himself "the healthiest fat guy you've ever seen in your life."

We appreciate the governor's willingness to laugh at himself when it suits his purpose.

The problem is that obesity is no joke in America today and it certainly is fair game when it comes to the presidency, one of the most stressful jobs on the planet. (Try to imagine him jogging up those stairs to board Air Force One. We have to tell you, it's just not working for us.)

Like it or not, it's going to be an issue as long as he remains a potential candidate for the Republican nomination for president.